Ordered bicontinuous nanoporous and nanorelief ceramic films from self assembling polymer precursors.

Chan, VZ; Hoffman, J; Lee, VY; Iatrou, H; Avgeropoulos, A; Hadjichristidis, N; Miller, RD; Thomas, EL · Science · 1999

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Three-dimensional ceramic nanostructured films were produced from silicon-containing triblock copolymer films exhibiting the double gyroid and inverse double gyroid morphologies (space group Ia3d). A one-step room-temperature oxidation process that used ozonolysis and ultraviolet irradiation effected both the selective removal of the hydrocarbon block and the conversion of the silicon-containing block to a silicon oxycarbide ceramic stable to 400 degrees C. Depending on the relative volume fraction of the hydrocarbon block to the silicon- containing block, either nanoporous or nanorelief structures were fabricated with calculated interfacial areas of approximately 40 square meters per gram and pore or strut sizes of approximately 20 nanometers.